Only four months into his new job as general manager of the Soo Greyhounds, Kyle Dubas is already embroiled in probably the biggest controversy he may encounter during his Ontario Hockey League tenure.

His star player, Daniel Catenacci, has notified him he wants out of Sault Ste. Marie, leaving Dubas to field questions about the future and robbing the Hounds of their leading scorer from a year ago.

More surprisingly is the fact that Dubas has publicly taken the news in stride, saying he wants players who want to be here and adding that Catenacci's demand has not added any stress on his slender shoulders.

If that's the case, then Dubas's blood must be as cold as ice and his nerves must be made of the same steel manufactured at Essar Steel day after day.

Surely, when your marquee player, when a guy who was taken first overall in the draft two years ago says he wants out and won't come back, you should be a little stressed over it.

You should be a little concerned, a little worried about why this kid wants out so fast.

"It's been zero stress because I've got a tremendous amount of belief, more than anybody could write, in Nick Cousins and Brett Findlay, who have been centres their whole life," Dubas said. "To say it's caused me any stress would be a tremendous disservice to the amount of belief I have in those other guys on our team."

That's fine but those guys are not Daniel Catenacci. Those guys were not selected first overall in the draft two years ago.

Catenacci's agent, Darren Ferris of the Orr Hockey Group, said the fact this situation has played out in public, has basically made it impossible for Catenacci to return to the Hounds.

He confirmed what Dubas said Thursday, that Catenacci's days in the Sault are over and that the kid who accepted coming to Sault Ste. Marie with open arms, will not don the red and white again.

"The concerns we had were of a serious nature," Ferris said. "They couldn't be resolved and I guess that's why we're where we are today."

Just what are those concerns? Ferris won't say.

By losing Catenacci, the Hounds have taken a huge step backwards and Dubas should have done everything possible to make sure this situation did not unfold as it did.

He should have been aware there were problems. He should have been in constant communication with the Catenaccis. And, whether you believe it or not, he should have coddled them, told them what they wanted to hear, if that's what it would have taken to ensure Catenacci's happiness in the Sault.

Like a love relationship, a player has to feel wanted or he goes elsewhere.

Dubas himself said Catenacci could one day become the leading scorer in the league so why wouldn't you do everything possible to keep him here.

"I think he's got the potential to be the leading scorer in this league at some point, as an 18 year old or a 19 year old. If he continues to adapt and evolve and work, he's got the potential to be a very good NHL player."

But just like that, he's gone. Imagine the Hounds down the middle the next two seasons with Cousins and Catenacci. Imagine teams trying to defend against that?

Brett Findlay is a hell of a player but he doesn't have Catenacci's will and tenacity. You can't compare the two when it comes to the complete package.\

I don't think there should be different rules for different players but I can assure you that Wayne Gretzky, Mario Lemieux, Steve Yzerman, Taylor Hall and Taylor Seguin, were all given certain liberties that lesser player did not receive. They were all shown a little more affection than the third or fourth line player, mainly because of what they meant to the team. That's the game Dubas is going to have to learn. He's going to have to learn how to discreetly make those who mean most to his team, feel the love.

And what did Catenacci mean to the Hounds?

How about a potential 100 point season this season and next. How about a guy who probably worked harder than any other player, game in and game out.

This kid, while undisciplined at times, was by far the team's hardest worker. He seldom took a shift off. He played with sustained intensity. He's as competitive as they come and he has the kind of nasty streak you want in a player.

There's no question that his perceived arrogance may have rubbed some the wrong way, including many of his teammates but nobody can question his work ethic on the ice.

Now the Hounds will be hard pressed to get fair market value for him by the time the season starts because teams know Dubas is not in a position to barter. His player wants out of the Sault. Dubas did not initiate this. There is a difference.

"We will trade him, I told Darren, once we get what we feel is the right fit for our team today and in the very short future," Dubas said.

Dubas says he had no idea things had soured this bad. He was solicited to a face to face meeting with Ferris in July, a meeting Dubas thought was to discuss the possibility of moving Catenacci from centre to wing.

Instead, Ferris dropped the bomb. Not only did he request a trade but, according to Dubas, he said Catenacci will not report to training camp later this month.

Talk about a soured relationship. Talk about a hasty and unexpected divorce.

What is it that has the Catenaccis all worked up? Dubas isn't saying. He says that's for Ferris and company to divulge but Ferris isn't talking either.

In just his first season as a GM in this league, Kyle Dubas is about to find out just how hot it can get in the kitchen.

And virtually everyone in Sault Ste. Marie will be paying attention to how he puts this fire out.

It isn't the kind of start a young GM wants.

Stay tuned!

Bill Montague can be reached at bmontague@saultstar.com or by calling 759-3030, ext. 236. He is on vacation now until Aug. 29